Plant guard for cultivators



y 1952 w. c. LATHERS, JR 2,597,111

PLANT GUARD FOR CULTIVATORS Filed Dec. 20, 1946 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 INVENTOR ATTOBNEY$ M 1952 w. c. LATHERS, JR 2,597,111

PLANT GUARD F OR CULTIVATORS 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed Dec. 20, 1946 Patented May 20, 1952 thi m (cra 1 8!)- ;.1 invention relates to improvements, in plant guards for cultivators, with particular reference to guards of that type which straddle rows :of plan-ts atthe' sides of the cultivator teeth to .pre-

vnt the plants from being covered with earth liftedhy the teeth plow-ing through the soil adj-ajcent to the plants. i

Qbjects of this invention are to :provide a guard which will not conceal the plants ir-om the operator of the cultivator, *VlihiOhWl/ill'llfifi damage the plants, which will allow tlie zilarits' to be'mulched by thefin'er particles of the cultivated. soil, and which will have foreand aft suspension linkage allowing the guard to -=swing'- -in a" vertical plane which includes the row-f plants, whereby to clear obstructions upon whih "it mightotherwise-catch.

A furt'her object is to provide means for laterally adjusting the guard inerder to-properlycover plants in differhtlyspaced rows, =or"to-var y the space between the guard-and the cuItiV-atorteeth. A still further' okfiect is to provide means for varying the quantity'd'f-mulch which is permitted to pass through the guard, whereby the' latter may 'be adapted to *the -requirements-of either heavy or'light soils --In the following description Figure 1 is a' perspective-view of=a 1la n t guard embodying my inyeriti'on as-seen from the point "of 'view'of'the operator of a-cultivator towhich it is attached, the cultivator -tee th, pilot wheel, and parts of the cultivator-frame being indicated by dotted lines. v

Figure 2 is a perspective oba detached ril'ant "guard embodying my "invention *as seen ii-"om a "pointof view in frontand at-tihe left'of theguard, 5

and with dotted lines indicating' the position 'of the guard when clearing an-obstruction.

"Figure 3 is a-s(':he mati'cfront elevation of a fragment of a power di iyen icultivator equipped with my improvedguards, one of which is shown in section drawn to a vertical plane through some of the holes.

iLik' part ar dent fie -bythesamezre eren characters throughout the sever l' ws.

My improvedfiguardis .forinedhf sheet metal, provided with multiple longitudinally extending rows of holes, and bent along longitudinal Kline's to 'fornr-a substantially -flat top 'l and sides I I and l -z-w-hich preferably iliverge' downwardly, as

shown. The top-may be -provicled withone row of holes t3, andthesides will preferably have at least two lcngitudinally extending rows 'o'f holes 13 Each end portionof-the guard is -'suiaported Joya pair of links -L4,-thelower ends of wmehsare at .15.. :The ;appended;portion .M.b1 e,-lin1gsare provided mithwertiral ncwsroih any ionetoiwhichapivot pin l may be inserted to sconnect -theidi nkwith a .g argl suppgr bar-11a F :An intermediate martian .Dfli'ihe har141 slad:

justa'blytc'onnectedhyfilamh n .129 1 5 9 e'lhowed' armczll adapted more at ested .139 m xmnesorumorei 'of;these. :gua amid thus :b $2 .1 Q

ported, each in a P1151151... Simddlfifi-IQ. ,Q plants .ad-jacentatopthes mater 6.31.- guards .zaite oflength" to through the holes li may he limitedibyf-insertmg :in" at zleast :the lower crow holes v:on :ieaoh :side of the guard a flexible, and aprefierably rresilidnt, member 25. One end of this bar maybe-massed inwardly through t-alternateuholes outwardly through intermediate-{holes in row, thus partially closing sea-ch of thedxoles :in that row. One rend of the bar :25 amjay .be prof/titled wvith ,.a hook :28 "to embrace san-gendzmareinvpf :the guard for additional.security:iagainstv displacement :0]? the bar. However, theiridtionaof thelhar,gsomthe margins of theholes-awill mrdinarily :be ,suificient to prevent it .='from i'loeingraccidfintally displafied.

At its front end ofgthe :sides 10f itheiguards may :be cutaway-along oblique lines leadin :illllwflrdly and forwardly from the ilower margins. 'asaincli- 'c'ated:a;t?2.1, and,:as aboveistlated,zthmeuandsat supported :by the link ilk-with theirrlower margins a short distance above normal groundlevel. When the cultivator is {in -;m o.tion. if ,thef'frbnt end of any; one .of the guardsstrikesan wbstrucr tion, its motion will the. checked andrtheilin'kage will allow a relative movementgofilthezrguardlwith referencei to .thezteeth.zbackwardlyandiupwatdly.

'pivotally' connectedwith the-sides .of magma 555 as-wi-ndicated by rdottedilim'szun mme-atunm the obstruction is cleared, whereupon the guard will return by gravity to its normal position.

The number of guards to be used in any given cultivator depends upon the width of the cultivator and the number of rows of plants which it can simultaneously cultivate. In Figure 3, a fragment of a power driven cultivator is indicated which may be assumed to be wide enough to cultivate, four rows of plants simultaneously. Two guards are therefore shown attached to the illustrated fragment of the cultivator.

Successful use of the guards for mulching purposes is quite largely dependent upon operation of the cultivator at a speed greater than that of the ordinary horse drawn cultivator, and upon having the lower margins of the guard normally above the surface of the ground and the holes of a considerable size, i. e., of two to four inches in diameter. It is also important to the success of the guard that the capacity of at least the lower row of holes on each side be made variable in accordance with the character of the soil which is being cultivated. Any means for varying the capacity of these holes may be employed, but the use of the bar 25 is preferred because it is inexpensive and can be quickly applied and removed. It is also important that the guard be supported by linkage which allows the guard to yield rearwardly and upwardly in a vertical plane which includes the row of plants in order to pass over obstructions without otherwise shifting-it out of guarding position with its top surface substantially horizontal.

By providing the links 14 with vertically extending rows of holes for reception of the connecting pivot pins I1, my improved guard can be raised in correspondence with the height of the plants and increased mulching provided for plants that are high enough and strong enough to avoid being covered by increased quantities of mulching earth thrown in their direction by the cultivator teeth.

' It is also important to the success of my im-- proved guard that sight openings [3 be provided in the top of the guard, whereby its position over the plants may at all times be observed by the operator of the cultivator.

The mulching operation may also be observed,

and if the plants are being covered the guards can be lowered, or the capacity of some of the holes 13' reduced.- Therefore the operator may quickly determine by observation whether the guards are-properly adjusted.

I claim: 1

1'. In a plant guard for mounting on a power driven cultivator. and adjacent the soil plowing teeth thereof, a support connected with the cultivator frame, a guard of substantially U-shaped cross section mounted in inverted position on the support for movement over a. row of plants driven cultivator and adjacent the soil plowing teeth thereof, a support connected with the, cultivator frame,a guard of substantially U-shaped ,cross section mounted in inverted position on the support for:moven'ient over a' row of plants over a row of plants during cultivation thereof,

4 during cultivation thereof, the guard having openings along the sides thereof the margins of each of said openings being curved, and quick detachable means frictionally held on the guard for varying the effective size of the openings to pass only earth in masses below a given size and quantity.

3. A plant guard for mounting on a power driven cultivator and adjacent the soil plowing teeth thereof, and comprising a support connected with the cultivator frame," a guard of substantially U-shaped cross section mounted in inverted position on the support for movement the guard having substantially circular openings along-the sides thereof, and a bar receivable in interlaced position through adjacent. opening for varying the effective size of the openings for the passage therethrough only of earth below a given size'and a given quantity.

4. A plant guard for mounting on a power driven cultivator adjacent the soil plowing teeth thereof, the guard comprising a structure connected with the cultivator frame, the guard being substantially U-shaped in cross section and mounted in inverted position on the support for movement over a row of plants during cultivation thereof, the guard having openings in series along the sides thereof, and a bar for mounting on the guardto divide the openings of a series into two parts to pass only masses of material below a given size and in a given quantity.

5. In a plant guard for mounting on a power driven cultivator and adjacent the soil plowing teeth thereof, a support connected with the cultivator frame, a guard of substantially U-shaped cross section mounted in inverted position on the support for movement over a row of plants during cultivation thereof, the guard having horizontal series of openings along the sides thereof, and a flexible bar for threading through a series of openings to divide each of the open-. ings of said series into two parts to pass earth only in masses below a given size and quantity.

6. In a plant guard for mounting on a power driven cultivator and adjacent the soil plowing teeth thereof, a support connected with the cultivator frame, a guard of substantially U-shaped cross section mounted in inverted position from the support for movement over a row of plants during cultivation thereof, the support being adjustable for suspending the guard with its lower margin above the normal level of the ground being plowed, the guard having horizontal series of openings along the sides thereof, and a flexible bar for threading through a series of openings to divide each of the openings of said series into two parts to pass earth only in masses below a given size and quantity.

WILLIAM C. LATI-IERS, J 11.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 241,924 Buswell Mar. 24, 1881 248,129 Bates Oct. 11, 1881 359,801 McGaugh Mar. 22, 1887 363,426 Showers May 24, 1887 941,772 Paris et a1 Nov. 30, 1909 1,733,722 Cotner Oct. 29, 1929 1 1,829,627 Bamford Oct. 27, 1931 j 2,417,597 Hill -V Mar. 18, 1947 

